Monday, June 21, 2010

Laughing All the Way

Throughout my childhood, my father could make me laugh with a subtle, or not so subtle, funny face, a look, a sound - frequently at the dinner table. I would laugh uncontrollably until my mother would send me away from the table, not as punishment, but to help me calm down and quite probably to prevent the sputtering of food around the room.

Any control I gained would be akin to trying not to laugh in church, an illusion, broken immediately as I would look at my father upon returning to the table - out of the room, again, I would go.

So, it's not a surprise that my father sent me a link to a Rowan Atkinson routine.

Rowan Atkinson, in his stand alone routines or as Mr. Bean or Black Adder, makes me laugh in much the same way my father did all those years ago - hysterically, uncontrollably, with tears. Often, he has to just appear and I start laughing.

People seem to fall into two camps regarding Atkinson's humour. Those who love him think that those who don't just don't get it and are too, too stuffy. Those who don't like him (often quite emphatically) think that those who do are infantile and weird. There is no in between.

Following is the Atkinson routine The Piano Player (compliments of my father).




Here are two more in the musical mode: Rowan Atkinson "conducting" Beethoven's 5th and Mr. Bean conducting the Salvation Army band.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2tpBwVuSKc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzdUiwB-Fj0

Enjoy. But watch out if you have your mouth full!!!!

8 comments:

Vivien said...

Mr Bean is an all-time best. I was on a British Airline plane that had Mr Bean for entertainment and I was laughing so loud other passengers were turning to look and laugh at me rather than Mr Bean. The Brits do take all the awards in humour I believe.

ChrisJ said...

Viv,

Disrupting things with laughter can't be bad.

Owen Gray said...

Atkinson knows what Charlie Chaplin knew. You don't have to say anything to be funny.

It is the look on your face -- when you are confronted by absurdity -- that is funny.

ChrisJ said...

Owen,

Yes, so true, and exactly what I experienced as a child.

Unknown said...

Cool!

Mr. Bean is totally crazy and I love him! There are some parts of British humor I don't enjoy, but Mr. Atkinson , Faulty Towers, and of course Monty Python send me of!

My kids love Monty Python so much that they knew almost every line from the show and the movies!

ChrisJ said...

Christi,

Faulty Towers is wonderful; I can watch re-runs forever.

Pearl said...

Mr. Bean makes me laugh. My dad couldn't stand him tho.

Your dad sounds like he gifted himself with a large and rich sense of humour.

ChrisJ said...

Pearl,

Oops, I commented back to you on the next post.

Yes, my dad does have a very rich sense of humour.